Grant Gustin As The Flash

The CW has a new superhero drama, The Flash. There are two superheroes that have always fascinated me: Superman and The Flash. More recently, I have a thing for Captain America, but that mainly has to do with Chris Evans, so it’s not a long time obsession. I’m pretty sure that I’ve talked about my superman obsession, though I don’t think it’s really a full on obsession, but I’m sure I’ve never discussed The Flash before. The blog QueerClick (NSFW, it’s mostly porn but with a few interesting non-porn articles here and there) posted one of their QC Open Forums the other day which was provocatively titled “Is The Flash Too Gay For His Own Good?” The main text of the post (which was mostly pictures, like the one above which I swear has a nice outline of Grant Gustin’s privates in it) stated:

If you have seen The Flash you have probably noticed how Grant Gustin’s gay comes shining through. We’re not saying he is gay (we totally are) but there are moments where The Flash just comes off as very gay, loud and proud. Don’t you find odd the lack of chemistry with his leading lady on the show? That’s like awfully suspicious. And there are times when the inflections of his voice or the way he acts sets our gaydar off like a klaxon. Is that because he has trouble with the character or because the melodrama is over the top? Or is it a vestigial trait from when he was on Glee?

There’s no denying that Grant is super charming and his portrayal of Barry Allen as a good-hearted superhero in the learning stages of his career is not grim or tortured, nowadays that is totally refreshing in the genre. One thing that could disprove our theory is that if he were gay, he wouldn’t have choose such awful variation of the suit.

But we can’t help going back and forth with the primary question, is The Flash too gay for his own good?

I left a comment on this (the featured comment for the post “woot woot”) that said, “Grant Gustin makes the perfect Flash. I seriously see no flaw in his portrayal. He’s sweet, kind, dorky, and so damn cute. I think I’m in love.” Honestly, I really do enjoy the show, and I enjoyed The Flash when it was on in the 1990s with John Wesley Shipp, who by the way plays Barry Allen’s father in this incarnation of The Flash.

While some of the other comments tended to be along the lines of mine and a few were just horny male comments like you’d expect on a gay porn blog, many of the comments were angry at QC for publishing such a post that asked of the character “is too gay.” A comment by Tyrone said:

This kind of commentary actually sets our community back. Neil Patrick Harris, Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, and T.R. Knight are examples of queer performers who have successfully played straight roles (and the list is endless). Actors, by definition, are portraying something or someone they are not. Their sexuality shouldn’t be a factor, and when you are saying it is, you’re effectively saying a gay performer can’t be taken seriously as a leading man or as a main character in a mainstream movie. That’s a problem.

Now here’s my thought on this: if it were a more serious news blog or a non-gay blog doing a post like this, then I’d say he had a right for his indignation, but QC is a gay porn blog. Even when they try to do something serious, it’s always tongue-in-cheek. Rarely do they every have a serious post. The most ridiculous comment in the whole thread was by “batGRRRl4ever” who wrote “I thought better of this site to even ask a question like this.” Really, she thought better of a gay porn blog that is often satirical was better than to “even ask a question like this.”

In my opinion, Gustin plays Barry Allen perfectly. I don’t think it’s “too gay,” and though I thoroughly wish Grant Gustin was gay and they would have some gay characters on the show (Wentworth Miller plays one of the [maybe recurring] villains and there is rumors of an actual gay character), it doesn’t matter one way or the other because I enjoy the show. Furthermore, just because someone acts dorky and awkward doesn’t mean they are gay. Sure in the case of me it does, but it’s also the reason I was unmercifully picked on as a child and still face some discrimination based on how I am perceived without someone knowing the truth. I give QC a pass for asking the question because I know I’ve been having a similar train of thought, but I give them a pass because of the type of blog they are and that’s a blog that actually publishes the dirty thoughts that gay men often have and do so unabashedly.

I only have one real bone to pick with the QC post. I like The Flash’s costume. I love the dark red leather look much more than I ever like the bright red spandex that The Flash has always been seen wearing. I think it’s a good look, and it looks great on a Grant Gustin, and I sure it would look even better crumpled on the floor while he was naked next to me in bed.

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About Joe

I began my life in the South and for five years lived as a closeted teacher, but am now making a new life for myself as an oral historian in New England. I think my life will work out the way it was always meant to be. That doesn't mean there won't be ups and downs; that's all part of life. It means I just have to be patient. I feel like October 7, 2015 is my new birthday. It's a beginning filled with great hope. It's a second chance to live my life…not anyone else's.
My profile picture is "David and Me," 2001 painting by artist Steve Walker. It happens to be one of my favorite modern gay art pieces.
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2014 at 7:00 am and posted in Television. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.